Modular building panels and enclosures

ABSTRACT

A building system for constructing lightweight, strong enclosures and partitions is disclosed. Preformed wall and roof panels having corresponding interlocking edges are provided, with the wall panels having corresponding tongues and grooves on adjacent vertical edges to hold them in aligned edge-to-edge relationship. Formed along the upper and lower edges of the wall panels are upwardly and downwardly facing channels which in cross section are generally V-shaped, or trapezoidal. A lintel beam corresponding to the shape of the upper channel is received in this channel and serves to align adjacent panels, while a similar base beam, or wedge, locates the panels on a floor or foundation and is received in the bottom channel. The top beam may, in one embodiment, be incorporated on, be formed integrally with, and depend from a roof or ceiling panel. When so formed, the lower surface of each ceiling panel is indented, or grooved, on each side of the depending lintel to receive the upper edges of the wall panels, whereby the roof and wall panels are interlocked. The top surface of the roof panels incorporates a peripheral trough adapted to receive a flat tie bar which extends across adjacent roof panels to hold them in assembled relationship. The roof panels are offset from the wall panels to provide strength at the joints between adjacent panels. The lintel and base beams are secured in the upper and lower panel channels by vertical tension rods or cables which extend downwardly through the panels and are suitably fastened at top and bottom to place the wall panels in compression.

United States Patent Tracy Aug. 12, 1975 MODULAR BUILDING PANELS ANDENCLOSURES [75] Inventor: Charles W. Tracy, Tallahassee, Fla.

[73] Assignee: Apollo Plastics, Inc., Fla.

[22] Filed: July 24, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 491,580

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No.407,012, Oct. 16,

[52] US. Cl. 52/264; 52/90; 52/227; 52/300 [51] Int. Cl. E0413 7/02;E04C 3/10 [58] Field of Search 52/264, 90-93, 52/300, 227-229, 317, 275,496

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,459,761 6/1923 Andrews...52/92 1,803,168 4/1931 Burgen 52/300 1,884,462 10/1932 Willson.....52/228 2,218,465 10/1940 Gunnison.. 52/317 2,241,169 5/1941 Yokes 52/4962,714,231 8/1955 Brunton.... 52/93 3,236,014 2/1966 Edgar 52/903,330,084 7/1967 Russell 52/92 3,462,897 8/1968 Weinrott... 52/903,665,668 5/1972 Maddan 52/275 FORElGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 588,3832/1959 ltaly 52/228 Primary Examiner-James L. Ridgill, Jr. Atmrney,Agent 1" -lnnes. Tullar & COODGI 57] ABSTRACT A building system forconstructing lightweight, strong enclosures and partitions is disclosed.Preformed wall and roof panels having corresponding interlocking edgesare provided, with the wall panels having corresponding tongues andgrooves on adjacent vertical edges to hold them in aligned edge-toedgerelationship. Formed along the upper and lower edges of the wall panelsare upwardly and downwardly facing channels which in cross section aregenerallyV-shaped, or trapezoidal. A lintel beam corresponding to theshape of the upper channel is received in this channel and serves toalign adjacent panels, while a similar base beam, or wedge, locates thepanels on a floor or foundation and is received in the bottom channel.The top beam may, in one embodiment, be incorporated on, be formedintegrally with, and depend from a roof or ceiling panel. When soformed, the lower surface of each ceiling panel is indented, or grooved,on each side of the depending lintel to receive the upper edges of thewall panels, whereby the roof and wall panels are interlocked. The topsurface of the roof panels incorporates a peripheral trough adapted toreceive a flat tie bar which extends across adjacent roof panels to holdthem in assembled relationship. The roof panels are offset from the wallpanels to provide strength at the joints between adjacent panels. Thelintel and base beams are secured in the upper and lower panel channelsby vertical tension rods or cables which extend downwardly through thepanels and are suitably fastened at top and bottom to place the wallpanels in compression.

61 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures SHEET FIG I PATENTEU AUG 1 2197s SHEET"PATENT AUG 1 21975 SHEET PATENTEU AUG 1 21975 SHEET 7 FIG /0 PATENTEBAUG 3 2 I975 SHEET MODULAR BUILDING PANELS AND ENCLOSURES BAC KGROUNDThis application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No.407,012 of Charles W. Tracy, filed Oct. 16, 1973 and entitled ModularBuilding Enclosure.

The present invention relates, in general, to modular building systems,and in particular to structural panels for buildings and the method andapparatus for assembling walls, roofs and building enclosures from suchpanels. More specifically, the invention relates to a building systemfor use, among other things, in the manufacture of single and multiplestory structures such as mobile homes, trailers, truck bodies, utilitybuildings, motels, and the like, and for the construction of walls andpartitions within such structures or within more conventional buildingstructures.

The application is related to copending application Ser. No. 385,353 ofCharles W. Tracy, filed on Aug. 3, 1973, entitled Combined Wall Paneland Forms, and assigned to the assignee of the present application.

In recent years the increasing cost of conventional housing, caused inpart by the scarcity of natural materials, the increasing price of land,and increasing labor costs, has produced a strong impetus to thedevelopment of modular building structures, and to the use of newmaterials. Panels, wall units, and complete enclosures have beenconstructed from a wide range of materials using a great variety oftechniques, and the art is replete with description of structuralconfigurations designed to facilitate the manufacture and assembly ofbuildings and building components. However, none of the prior systemshas met with complete acceptance, for all present problems of varyingkinds.

Although panels of varying configurations and materials have been usedin the construction of building components and enclosures, such panelshave not been satisfactory for they have generally required the use ofcomplex and expensive supporting framework, which itself presentfabrication and construction problems. Further, the panels must besecured to the frame by means of fasteners which will pull out oflightweight panels, and which are often difficult to install. Therequirement for light weight reduces the strength of the panels, whilethe complexity of installation eliminates any cost advantage they mightprovide. Thus, the assembly of panels to frames often produces anenclosure that provides no real cost or strength advantage.

The burgeoning mobile home industry is faced with many of the problemsencountered in more conventional homes, in that new techniques andmaterials are needed to counterbalance increasing costs of labor and ofconventional materials. But special problems are faced in this industry,in that the home enclosures must not only provide the strength, safetyand convenience of conventional housing, but must also be able towithstand the rigors of mobility. When a mobile home is being towed onthe road, or is being moved into position on an owners property, thestructure is subject to a great deal of vibration, twisting, racking andbending, and thus is subject to structural damage if great care is nottaken in its construction. Accordingly, mobile homes generallyincorporate a double wall secured to opposite sides of a rigid frame byrivets or similar fasteners. However, such a construction is expensive,is often not sufficiently strong to avoid damage in transit,

and is difficult to repair in the event of damage. The extremely thinwall coverings used in conventional mobile home construction providesonly a small degree of thermal insulation, and the multitude of rivetfasteners used to secure the covering skin to the wall frame make theoriginal construction time consuming and expensive, and make repairsdifficult.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of. the presentinvention to overcome the difficulties encountered in the prior art, andto provide a building construction that is durable, strong,lightweight,inexpensive, and easy to handle.

It is another object of the invention to provide a modular buildingsystem for small buildings, mobile homes, truck and trailer bodies andthe like which is light and strong, yet easy to assemble, maintain, andrepair.

It is another object of the invention to provide a lightweight buildingpanel for use in constructing small enclosures or partitions, whereinthe building may be quickly and easily erected without the use offrames, yet is strong and durable.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a lightweightbuilding panel formed to interlock with adjacent panels and adapted tobe secured tightly together to form a rigid, stable, load-bearing wallconstruction particularly suited for building enclosures, partitions,and the like.

In accordance with the invention there is provided a building panelconstructed of a layer of foamed urethane sandwiched between inner andouter layers of a strong, molded plastic skin material such as styrene,wood paneling, or any other suitable skin material. The inner and outerpanel skins are shaped and colored to provide the desired aestheticappearance of the interior and exterior of the building, and the edgesof the panel are formed to provide an interlocking arrangement by meansof which the structure is made rigid.

The walls of the enclosure are formed by vertical wall panels, the twoside edges of each panel being formed with conventional tongue andgroove arrangements or with grooves adapted to receive a nailing stripor stud so that the panels can be vertically aligned when erected andassembled, and will be held in vertical alignment, The top and thebottom edge of each wall panel is formed with a tapered channel, eachchannel being generally V-shaped in cross section, having a flat baseand outwardly sloped walls. The top and bottom edge channels are adaptedto engage similarly-shaped lintel and floor beams which locate the wallpanels on the enclosure foundation and hold them in alignment. Thesepanels may be used to form the exterior building walls, with theexterior and interior wall surfaces being prefinished to providecorresponding appearances, or they may be used to form interior wallpartitions with both sides being prefinished to provide the desiredinterior wall surfacing. In a preferred form, the wall panels are formedwith interior vertical openings or passageways extending the height ofthe panels and adapted to receive tensioning means for securing thebuilding, or to receive electrical wiring for the trailer.

Roof or ceiling panels are provided in one form of the to span the spacebetween vertical wall panels and to interlock with the upper edges ofthe wall panels to form the rigid construction required for mobil homesand similar buildings and other enclosures. The ends of the roof panelswhich abut each other are formed with a conventional tongue and groovearrangement, so that a plurality of panels may be connected end-to-endto form a roof surface. The under surfaces of the side edges of the roofpanels, which form the peripheral edge of a completed roof, are formedto interlock with the upper edges of the wall panels. This isaccomplished by means of a depending projection and adjacent parallelgrooves which form the lintel beam adapted to engage the V-shapedchannel formed in the upper edges of the wall panels and to embrace theedges of the panel on either side of the channel. The lintel beam isformed to match the shape of the channel so that the roof panel tightlyengages the wall. The top surface of the roof panels incorporates aperipheral trough adapted to receive a flat tie bar which extends acrossadjacent roof panels to hold them in assembled relationship.

In assembling an enclosure or building structure, floor wedges areinstalled on the enclosure foundation, which may be a floor formed onthe chassis of a mobile home, for example. The wall panels are installedwith the bottom channels engaging the floor wedges to form the walls ofthe enclosure. Lintel beams are then positioned along the top of thevertical wall panels. Where ceiling panels are used, the dependinglintel beams formed thereon engage the top channel of walls, and theedges of the walls engage the lintel grooves. Tie bars are thenpositioned in the peripheral trough on the surface of the roof panels,and tension rods or cables are passed down through the tie bar, throughthe roof and the vertical passageways in the wall, and through the floorwedge to be affixed to the foundation to secure the assembly together.Where no ceiling panel is used, the tension means passes through the toplintel beam, through the panel, and is secured to the bottom beam eitherby suitable bracket means on the bottom beam, by being secured in thefoundation, or, if the under surface of the foundation is available, aswhere it is the floor of a vehicle or trailer, the tension means maypass through the floor and be secured to the under surface thereof.Assembly of the enclosure is completed by tightening the tension rods topull the intel beams and floor wedges into tight engagement with thewall channels, thereby forming a rigid building structure of greatstrength and durability, the interlocking portions of the enclosurecooperating to prevent twisting, racking or other deformation of theenclosure under static or kinetic loads.

In a modified form of the invention, the wall panels may be adapted foruse as partition walls either in conventional buildings or in enclosuresformed in accordance with the present invention. The partition panelsare formed in the same manner as the wall panels, with edge tongues andgrooves, and top and bottom channels. However, assembly of thepartitions differs in that the partitions may be free standing orsecured to an existing ceiling structure such as suspended ceiling tilesor the like. A floor wedge is provided, as with the wall panels, and issecured to the floor to define the desired partition location. A ceilingwedge is also provided, and this may either be fastened to the ceilingor may be unsecured if the partition is to form an L-shaped wall or acomplete enclosure. The panels are positioned between the floor andceiling wedges in edge-abutting relationship, with each panel beingsecured in place by tension means fastened to the wedges. The tensionmeans preferably is a thin flat belt secured at each end to a T-fittingadapted to be screwed or otherwise fastened to the wedges. After a panelis located on the wedges, a tension band is positioned along the edge ofthe panel, preferably in the edge groove, with one arm of the upperT-fitting extending into the upper channel between the panel and theupper edge. The other arm of the upper fitting is securely fastened tothe wedge, as by a screw. The lower T-fitting is similarly secured tothe lower wedge, the tightening of the fastening screws placing the bandin tension, pulling the two wedges toward each other, and firmly holdingthe partition. The next partition panel may similarly be positionedbetween the wedges and secured.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing and additional objects,features and advantages of the present invention will be more fullyappreciated from a consideration of the following detailed descriptionof a preferred embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a mobile home constructed inaccordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partially exploded perspective view of the mobile home ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial cross section of the mobile home enclosure of FIG. Itaken along line 33;

FIG. 4 is an exploded side elevation of a wall panel and a portion of anadjacent panel constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the panels of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the roof and wallassembly of FIG. 2, taken along lines 66;

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the roof, walland floor assembly of FIG. 2, taken at lines 77;

FIG. 8 is a partial perspective view of an assembled wall joint;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a portion of a typical floor wedge usedwith the present invention",

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a partition formed in accordance withthe present invention;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of a portion of the partition securing band;and

FIG. 12 is a partially exploded perspective view of a portion of amodified wall and floor assembly.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Turning now to a more detailedconsideration at the present invention in its preferred forms, FIGS. 1,2 and 3 illustrate a mobile home 10 constructed from wall panels 12,roof panels 14, and partition panels 16 manufactured in accordance withthe present invention. As may be seen, the wall panels are formed withdoors and windows in conventional manner, and are secured to a trailerchassis 18 to form an enclosure which is utilized as a mobile home. Thetrailer chassis comprises a bed, or floor, portion 20 supported onsuitable longitudinal and lateral frame members 22 and 24 inconventional manner and carried by wheels 26 secured by means of axles28 and springs 30 to the bed portion. Although in this portion of thedescription the enclosure of the present invention is shown as beingsecured to a trailer bed for a mobile home, it will be apparent that anysuitable foundation or base for the enclosure may be provided.

Thus a truck bed, a concrete slab, a wooden platform, or other similarstructures may easily be adapted for use with the present wall and roofpanels to construct a building, enclosure or a partition in accordancewith the present invention.

The wall panels, 12 which form the perimeter of the mobile homeenclosure, are generally rectangular in shape, as illustrated in FIGS. 4and 5, and are formed with tongue and groove to facilitate assembly andto hold the assembled panels in alignment. The left hand vertical sideedge 32 of panel 12, as viewed in FIG. 4, incorporates a groove 34extending the height of the panel. The portion of the edge 32 remainingafter formation of the groove is in the form of a pair of projections 36and 38 which are adapted to mate with the tongue portion of a nextadjacent panel.

Notches or grooves 40 and 42 are formed on the corners of the panelalong edge 32, which notches extend the full length of the panel and areof a shape and size to receive one half of a cover strip which isprovided to cover the joint between adjacent panels.

The right hand edge 44 of panel 12, as viewed in FIG. 4, incorporates atongue portion 46 which extends the full length of the panel and isadapted to mate with the corresponding groove on an adjacent panel. Thisedge of the panel is also provided with a pair of notches or grooves 48and 50 which are adapted to receive cover strips. FIG. 5 illustrates apair of cover strips 52 and 54 which are adapted to be secured in thecorner notches of panel 12 and, for example, the corresponding notches40 and 42 of an adjacent panel 12', when they have been assembled. Thecover strips 52 and 54 fit flush with the inner and outer surfaces 56and 58, respectively, of the panels when assembled, and cover the jointbetween panels 12 and 12' to hide it and to prevent the entry of water,air, or the like.

When the adjacent panels 12 and 12' are assembled, as illustrated inFIG. 8, the tongue 46 engages groove 34', with the projections 36 and38' abutting the edge 44 of panel 12, so that notches 50 and 42cooperate to form a cut-out, or trough, to receive cover strip 54.Similarly, the notches on the opposite sufaces of panels 12 and I2cooperate to produce a trough adapted to receive cover strip 52.

The top and bottom edges 60 and 62 of wall panel 12 are formed withtapered channels 64 and 66, respectively, which are trapezoidal, orgenerally V-shaped, in cross section and which extend across the widthof the panels, as may be seen in FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 8. Channel 64 opensupwardly and includes side walls 68 and 70 which taper outwardly from aflat base 72. Similarly, channel 66 includes side walls 74 and 76 whichtaper outwardly and downwardly from a flat base 78 to form a downwardlyopening channel.

Each wall panel 12 is preformed of a foamed material having the desiredcharacteristics of light weight, heat and sound insulation, low cost,etc., preferably covered on its outer surfaces by a strong, durable,non-marring, attractive skin layer to give the panel a finished andpleasing appearance. Structural panels utilizing foamed materials arewell known in the art, and methods of molding such panels and thematerials from which they can be made do not require specificdescription. Many examples of foamable organic resinous materials may begiven and include, but are not limited to. polyurethane foams; foamedresole resins such as urea formaldehyde resins; foamed aminoplast resinssuch as melamine formaldehyde resins; hydrocarbon resins such as foamedpolystyrene, polyethylene, and polypropulene; polyvinyl resins such aspolyvinyl chloride and copolymers thereof; foamed polyacetals much asfoamed polyacrolien; and other foamed organic resins known in the art.In a preferred form of the invention, however, the panel is a highdensity polyurethane which is foamed in a mold formed by inner and outerskin layers that have been preformed to the desired shape, size, andsurface appearance and configuration of the panel, as described andillustrated in the aforementioned application Ser. No. 385,353 ofCharles W. Tracy.

In making the panel, the skin layers are suitably supported in spacedrelationship within a mold frame, and the urethane is placed betweenthem and. caused to expand by foaming. The expanding material generatesa high pressure and completely fills the cavity defined by the two skinlayers, forming a bond with the skin layers to produce a unitary panel.When the resin has cured, the completed panel which is removed from themold frame includes a foam core 80, (FIG. 8) an inner skin layer 82forming the interior surface 56 of the panel and an outer skin layer 84forming the exterior surface 58 of the panel.

The inner and outer skin layers 82 and 84 preferably are molded of aplastic material such as styrene which may be treated in known manner toproduce panel surface configurations and colorings that simulate variousnatural materials such as stone, wood paneling, brick, or the like. Thepreformed skin layers may themselves be used as the mold for theurethane foam core. Alternatively, the outer surface material may beplaced in a shaped mold, and formed at the same time the core is formed.

The unitary panel so formed is constructed to be of sufficient thicknessto provide the desired degree of thermal and sound insulation. The highdensity foamed urethane core produces a structural, load-bearing panelwhich may be used in the construction of a building enclosure withoutthe need for supporting framework, while the integral interior andexterior skin layers provide finished surfaces that need no furthercovering, painting, or other treatment.

In the molding of the wall panels, longitudinal cavities 86 and 88(FIGS. 4 and 5) are formed in the manner illustrated in theabove-mentioned copending application Ser. No. 385,353, the cavitiesextending through the panels from the upper channel 64 to the lowerchannel 66. These cavities are provided to accomodate electrical wiringfor the enclosure, but more importantly to accomodate tie rods such asthat illustrated at 90 in FIG. 3, which serve to fasten the buildingenclosure to its base and to hold the enclosure securely together.

The partition panels 16 used in the interior of the mobile home 10, andfurther illustrated in FIG. 10, are essentially the same as the wallpanels 12, having channels on their upper and lower edges, and tonguesand grooves on their side edges, in the manner described with respect toFIG. 4. Further, the interior partition panels are preferably of thesandwich construction described with respect to the illustration of FIG.8, having a foamed core between two skin layers which provide thedesired wall decor. Both the wall panels and the partition panels may beformed with window and door openings, as desired, which openings may bedesigned to receive, or may incorporate, conventional door and windowframes.

To locate the wall and partition panels on the floor 20, or on any othersuitable base, a plurality of elongate floor wedges 92 (FIGS. 2 and 3)may be provided. These wedges have a cross-sectional shape which iscomplementary to the shape of the lower channel 66 of the wall panels,and are adapted to engage the base and wall portions of the bottomchannel to hold the panels in place. The wedges may be secured to thefloor by screws, adhesive, or other suitable fastening means, in apattern defining the location of the walls and partitions. As seen inFIG. 2, the floor wedges are located around the periphery of the floordefine the location of the exterior Walls of the enclosure, and arelocated interiorly of the enclosure to define the location of roomdividing partitions.

The floor wedges may be of wood, plastic, or other suitable material,and are located sufficiently close to the edge of the floor 20 to insurethat the outer surface of the panel 12 overlaps the outer edge of thefloor, thereby preventing water leakage into the enclosure. The wedge istrapezoidal in cross-section, and is generally in the form of aninverted V, having dimensions substantially equal to, but slightly lessthan, the dimensions of the lower channel 66. Thus, the wedge includesan upper flat face portion 94 and side walls 96 and 98 taperingoutwardly from the face portion 94 in a configuration that insures asnug, firm fit between the wedge and the corresponding walls of thechannel so that all of the channel walls are in load contact withcorresponding wedge walls when the panels are correctly located on thefloor wedges. It should be noted that the degree of taper shown for theside walls of the channel 66 and wedge 92 are exagerated for purposes ofillustration, and that the actual angle preferably is less than thatshown. The height of the floor wedge is preferably slightly greater thanthe depth of the bottom channel so that the panel can fit tightly on thewedge without engaging the floor or foundation.

The upper edges 60 of the panels are held in place in the embodiment bymeans of lintel beams formed on the ceiling panels, 14, the beams beingshaped to engage the upper channels 64 of the walls panels 12. Theceiling or roof panels are molded from high density polyurethane in themanner of the wall panels described above, although they may differ inthat the outer surface 100 of the panel may be formed without aprotective skin layer, allowing the roof to be covered by a protectivevinyl layer or by more conventional roofing materials after theenclosure has been assembled. The lower, or inner, surface 102 of theroof panel is, however, preferably formed with a thin skin layer whichprovides the finished ceiling for the enclosure.

As indicated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the roof panel is formed in a generallytriangular shape, with the upper surface 100 forming the exterior roofsurface and the lower surface 102 forming the enclosure ceiling. Theshape and thickness of the foamed roof panel provides sufficientstrength to enable the panel to span the distance between the side wallsof the enclosure, while still meeting the load bearing requirements forcomparably sized structures. The front and rear edges of the panel areprovided with a tongue and groove arrangement, as with the side edges ofthe wall and partition panels, whereby adjacent roof panels interlockwith each other to provide additional support and strength. The roofpanel 14 illustrated in FIG. 3 includes a tongue 104 which extendslaterally across the panel. As shown, the groove is formed in aninverted, spread V shape, but if desired the groove may extend in astraight line across the panel. It will be understood that the tongue isadapted to engage a corresponding groove on a next adjacent roof panel,and that the opposite end of the panel incorporates a groove (not shown)adapted to engage the tongue portion of its next adjacent panel, wherebythe panels may be assembled in end-to-end relationship.

The bottom surface 102 of each roof panel 14 is formed with spaceddepending projections 106 and 108 which are adapted to engage the upperchannels of the panels which make up the opposite side walls of themobile home enclosure 10. These downward projections are generallytrapezoidal in cross-section and extend the length of the panel.Flanking, and adjacent, the downward projections 106 and 108 are a pairof parallel grooves 110 and 112, and 114 and 116, respectively, whichcooperate with projections 106 and 108 to form spaced, depending lintelbeams each having a surface in the form of a return curve. Thetrapezoidal shape of the lintel beam portions 106 and 108 iscomplementary to the shape of the upper channel 64 of the wall panel,with the slope of the walls and the width of the beam and channelcorresponding to each other to provide a snug, firm, contact when theroof engages the wall. The grooves 110, 112 and 114, 116 are shaped toreceive the upper edge 60 of the wall panel, with the side walls of thegrooves engaging and embracing the edge 60 so that when assembled thelintel beam fits into the upper channel on the wall panel and the upperedge of the wall panel fits into the grooves on either side of thelintel to provide a firm load-bearing surface contact between all of thecorresponding wall portions of the linted, its adjacent grooves, and theupper edge and channel portion of the wall panels.

As seen in FIG. 3, the lintel portion of the roof panel incorporatesfour generally vertical wall portions which are adapted to engagecorresponding generally vertical surfaces on the wall panel 12; thesides of the lintel portion 106 engage the sides 68 and of channel '64,and the outer sides of the lintel grooves (l 10 and 112, e.g.) engagethe outer and inner surfaces of the wall panel. The lintel portion alsoincorporates three generally horizontal wall portions which are adaptedto engage corresponding generally horizontal surfaces on the upper edgeof the wall panel; the bottoms of grooves and 112 engaging correspondingsurfaces of upper edge 60, and the bottom face of linted portion 106engaging the base 72 of channel 64 when the roof and wall are assembled.The tapered channel and lintel facilitate assembly of the units andassure correct alignment of the panels, while the horizontal contactfaces provide flat load-bearing surfaces to insure that loading of thestructure will not split the wall panels. The return curvature of thelintel surface enables the roof panel to grip the outer sides of thewall panel to provide additional stability to the assembly and tostrengthen it against side loads such as those produced by high winds.Additional side load strength is provided by the fact that the width ofthe depending portion 106 or 108 or the lintel beam is substantiallyless than the thickness of the wall panel so that the foamed coreportion of the panel extends to the edges 60. The thickness of each edge60 is, therefore, greater than that of the skin material forming thesurfaces of the panels, so that the core material, instead of the skinmaterial by itself, withstands any side loads.

Aligned with the lintel beam portions 106 and 108 and located on eachside of the upper surface of the roof panel 14 are tie-in troughs 118and 120 which are adapted to receive corresponding tie bars 122 and 124(see FIG. 3). The tie bars extend along the edges of the panels andbridge the joint between adjacent roof panels to hold the panels inassembled relationship. In ad dition, the bars act as supports, orwashers, for the tension rods 90, preventing the heads of the rods frompulling into the foam material of the roof when the enclosure isassembled. The tie bars extend around the periphery of the roof on theenclosure 10, not only to tie the panels together, but to preventtwisting of the enclosure caused by forces against the side wallsthereof.

The wall, roof and partition panels thus far described have beenconsidered to be generally rectangular in shape, and identically shaped.However, in order to construct an enclosure from such panels, it isapparent that certain variations will be required in order to formcorners or corner joints, and to close off the ends of the roof.Accordingly, it is contemplated that the wall panels 12 may be modified,as required, to provide a corner construction, such as the L-shapedpanel 126 illustrated in FIG. 6. Except for the bend, or corner, formedmidway across the panel, it is identical to the wall panels previouslydescribed, having an upper channel 128 and a lower channel (not shown)extending across the top and bottom of the panel from one side edge tothe other, and having a tongue and groove arrangement on the side edgesto enable the corner panel to be joined to the wall panels 12.Alternatively, the enclosure corners may be formed by a corner panel 130(FIG. 7) which is formed with a tongue 132 (or a groove) on the innersurface 134 of the panel instead of on the side edge thereof. The tongue132 is adapted to engage the side edge groove on an adjacent panel 136in the normal manner, to form the desired corner arrangement. It will beapparent that such tongues may also be provided at locations other thanat the edge of a panel to provide locator means for interior partitions.

A modified form of roof panel is also provided for use at the ends of aroofing structure. The modified roof panel, such as the panels 138 and140 illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, 6 and 7, are provided with laterallyextending lintel beams, such as the beam 142 in FIG. 7, which areadapted to engage the upper channels 144 in the panels, such as wallpanels 130 and 146 which form the end walls of the enclosure. The lintelbeam 142 is similar to the spaced lintel beams 106 and 108 formed on theroof panels 14, and in fact joins these side beams in an L-shaped joint,as illustrated at 147 in FIG. 7, to form a continuous lintel. Thuscontinuous lintel engages the corresponding continuous channel formed inthe wall panels to secure the enclosure.

The manner in which an enclosure may be assembled from the wall, roofand partition panels will be evident from the foregoing description andfrom the various drawings. Briefly, however, an enclosure may beassembled in accordance with the present invention, and as illustrated,by locating on a suitable floor or base a series of elongated floorwedges to define a continuous locator strip that defines the location ofthe wall panels to be used in forming the enclosure. The floor locatorstrip may be formed from a plurality of elongated pieces secured inend-to-end or end-to-side relationship and from L-shaped or T-shapedwedge pieces such as that illustrated at 148 in FIG. 9. It is preferredthat the strips be so positioned that any joints that are required fallbetween joints in the wall panels, to assure proper alignment of thewalls. As may be seen in FIG. 2, the wedge strips are provided withopenings, as at 150 and 152, where doorways are formed in the wall orpartition panels.

After the floor strips are in place, the exterior wall panels 12 arepositioned, with the lower channels on the panels receiving andengagingthe upstanding floor wedges. The wall panels are pressed down intoplace, and adjacent panels pressed together for edge-to-edge assembly bymeans of the tongue and groove arrangement. Suitable comer panels suchas the panel 126 or the panel 130 are used at the four comers of theassembly, with the adjacent panels being interlocked and positioned toform opposite side walls 154 and 156 and opposite end walls 158 and 160,and producing a continuous wall around the edge of the base 20, asillustrated in FIGS. 2, 6 and 7. It will be seen that the last panel tobe positioned in the wall may be inserted by sliding it down from thetop of the wall, its side edges interlocked with the already-positionedadjacent panels by means of the tongue and groove arrangement.

Upon completion of the wall assembly, the roof panels are placed inposition, starting, for example, with one of the end panels 138 or 140.The end panel 138, e.g., is positioned along the end wall 158 and spansthe width of the enclosure, with one end resting on wall 154 and theother end resting on wall 156. The depending lintel beam of roof panel138 engages the top channel in the wall panels forming end wall 158 andthe top channels of at least a part of the comer and endmost panels onwalls 154 and 156, thereby bridging the enclosure and linking the sideand end walls together. Thus, for example, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2,the roof panel 138 engages the comer panel 126, the wall panels 162 and164 making up end wall 158, the opposite corner panel 166, a portion ofpanel 168 on side wall 154, and a portion of panel 170 on side wall 156.As may be seen in FIG. 6, the roof panel overlaps the juncture 172between panels 126 and 168 so that the lintel beam of the roof panelwill hold the two wall panels in alignment, whereby any side forcesimposed on the wall panels by motion of the mobile home, by wind forces,or the like, will produce shear forces on the continuous lintel beamrather than on any junction point between adjacent roof panels. Thisoffsetting of the panels results in improved strength characteristicsfor the enclosure. It will be understood that as the roof panel ispositioned over juncture 172, the cover strips 52 and 54 are positionedin the troughs formed by the notches in the adjacent panels. Being flushwith the panel surfaces, the upper ends of the strips fit into thegrooves 110 and 112 and are secured in place by the roof panel. Thelower ends of the strips may be secured by adhesives or other fasteners.

A second roof panel 174 is then positioned on the enclosure, spanningthe walls 154 and 156 and engaging the upper channels in the side wallpanels. The roof panel 174 is pressed into the edgetoedge engagementwith panel 138, the tongue 176 on panel 138 engaging a correspondinggroove on the adjacent panel to align the roof panels and provideadditional load strength. As

illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, roof panel 174 overlaps the juncturesbetween side wall panels 168 and 170 and their next adjacent panels, asexplained, to insure proper alignment of the top edges of the walls. Theremaining roof panels are positioned on the walls in similar manner,with roof panel 140 also engaging the opposite end wall 160, whereby theside walls are linked together and to the end walls by the bridging roofpanels.

As the enclosure is assembled, the roof throughs 118 and 120 in eachroof panel are aligned to form continuous troughs extending the lengthof the enclosure. The troughs also extend laterally across the endpanels 138 and 140, as shown at 178 and 180 in FIGS. 6 and 7,respectively, to provide a continuous identation around the periphery ofthe upper surface of the roof in vertical alignment with the continuouslintel beam depending from the lower surface (or ceiling portion) of theroof. Upon assembly of the panels, the tie bars 122 and 124 arepositioned in the troughs, the tie bars extending around the peripheryof the enclosure.

To complete the assembly of the enclosure, tension rods 90 are insertedthrough holes drilled in the tie bars and roof panels in alignment withthe cavities 86 and 88 in each wall panel. The tension rods are passeddown through the tie bars, the roof panels and the wall panel cavitiesand are connected to floor wedges by suitable brackets to be describedor pass through corresponding holes drilled in the floor wedges, in thefloor 20, and in the supporting framework 22 (See FIG. 3). The upper endof each tension rod is provided with an enlarged head 182, while thelower end is threaded as at 184 to receive a nut 186. The nuts arethreaded onto the tension rods and tightened against the frame 22,pulling the upper head portion down against the tie bar and compressingthe roof panel against the wall panels and the wall panels against thefloor wedges. When all of the tension rods have been firmly tightened sothat they all are in tension between the tie bar and the base frame, theforces exerted by the rods firmly seat the lintel beam in the upper wallchannels and seat the floor wedge in the lower wall channels, therebyproducing a strong, rigid enclosure structue. The interlocking tongueand groove joints, the lintel beams with their adjacent wall-receivinggrooves which interlock with the top edges of the wall panels, thebottom channel interlocking with the floor wedge, the overlapping roofand wall panels, the tie bars which overlap the roof panel joints, andthe tension bars pulling all of these components together, all cooperatein a new and unique way to produce a building enclosure which is stable,strong, and resistant to twisting, racking, vibration, and otherexternal forces. All of the components are shaped to cooperate in such away that they reinforce each other, with the return curvature of thejoints between the roof and wall panels providing a large number ofbearing surfaces to produce exceptional strength. It will be noted thatthe cavities 86 and 88 in the wall panels are of larger diameter thanthe tension rods 90. This permits the wall panels themselves to remainslightly more flexible under wind loads, so that the walls are able towithstand higher wind pressures without damage, than would be the caseif the tension rods were in contact with the wall panel; such Contactwould transmit the wind force directly to the tension 'rods and tend tobend them, whereas the present arrangement transfers the forces due tothe wind load to the lintel beam and thence to the roof panels. Thisdistributes the load over large areas through a large number of bearingsurfaces, providing greater stability for the enclosure.

Upon completion of the roof assembly and tightening of the tension rods,the troughs 118 and 120 may be filled flush with the roof surface with asuitable filler material such as blocks of urethane foam. Thereafter,the roof may be covered by sheet roofing, a poured coating, or by otherconventional roofing structures to produce a water-tight cover for theenclosure.

During the assembly of the exterior walls, or after their completion,the interior partition walls may be assembled, using the partitionpanels 16 A method of assembling these walls is illustrated in FIGS. 10and 11, to which reference is now made. The panel 16 is of the sandwichtype construction described above, and is formed with tongue and grooveon the side edges and trapezoidally-shaped channels on the top andbottom edges, as with the wall panels 12 previously discussed.

The partition panels are located within the enclosure, which may be themobile home of FIGS. 1 and 2, some other building enclosure constructedwith the panels of the present inventon, or an enclosure of moreconventional construction, by means of floor wedges 188 secured to thefloor, foundation, or other base on which the partition is to belocated. If the partition panels are to form a flat wall abutting anexisting wall 190 at an angle, a locator strip 192 may be secured to theexisting wall, as shown. This locator strip may form a tongue adapted toengage a corresponding groove in the side edge 194 of panel 16 to holdthe panel in a vertical position. The tongue 192 may, of course, bemolded as an integral part of a wall panel which the partition is toabut.

The top of the panel 16 engages a lintel wedge or strip 196 which may besecured to an existing ceiling of any type. Where the ceiling is toohigh, or the partition is to be free standing, strip 196 is leftunsecured, but is placed in the top channel of the panel. To assemble apartition, where strip 196 is secured to the ceiling, panel 16 is placedbetween strip 188 and lintel 196 and is pressed in the direction ofarrows 198 into engagement with strip 192. Where lintel 196 is notsecured to the ceiling, the panel is positioned on strip 188, pressedinto engagement with strip 192, and lintel 196 is placed in the upperchannel of the panel.

The partition panel is secured in position by means of a tension band200 which is fastened between the wedge strip 188 and the lintel 196.Band 200 is a thin, flat belt or web of metal, fabric or other suitablematerial, which terminates at its ends in T-fasteners 202 and 204. Asseen in FIG. 1 1, the fasteners are provided with an aperture 206 bymeans of which they may be secured to the lintel and floor wedges. Afterpanel 16 is properly located, the tension band is moved into positionagainst the exposed side edge of the panel, as indicated by arrows 208,with one arm of each T-fastener extending into the channels formed inthe panel. The other arm of each fastener is then screwed or otherwisesecured to its corresponding wedge, the tightening of the screws placingthe band 200 in tension and pulling the lintel and floor wedges towardeach other. This forces the wedges tightly into the upper and lowerchannels, firmly holding the partition panel. In similar manner,additional panels may be secured between the upper and lower wedges toform a partition wall.

FIG. 12 illustrates a modified form of the interlock ing means by whichadjacent wall or partition panels may be held together and verticallyaligned. Instead of the tongue and groove arrangement with the jointcovering strips illustrated in FIG. 8, each panel, such as the panelindicated generally at 212, is formed with grooves 214 on both of itsside edges. The remainder of the panel, including a top channel 216 anda bottom channel (not shown), is constructed in accordance with theprior embodiments, with the top channel being adapted to receive alintel beam 218 of trapezoidal cross section and the bottom channelbeing adapted to fit over a trapezoidal bottom wedge 240 secured to asuitable base of foundation 222. The grooves 214 in the adjacent sideedges of adjoining panels are shaped to receive a corresponding verticalnailing strip, or stud 224, a single stud being sufficiently long toextend to, but not into, the upper and lower channels.

Upon assembly of a wall, the stud 224 is keyed into the correspondingside edge channels of the adjacent panels, and the panels are secured,as by nailing through the surface skin or panel 225 and the corematerial 226 to the stud to hold them in assembly relationship. Nailingstrips are provided between all adjoining panels, strip 224' betweenadjacent panels 212 and 212' being illustrative of this embodiment ofthe interlocking of the panels in forming a wall structure. Thisconstruction allows the side edges of adjacent panels to abut,eliminating the need for cover strips of the type illustrated in FIG. 8.

The wall panel 212 is secured between the upper lintel beam 218 and thelower locator wedge 220 by means of suitable tension means such as atension rod 227 of the type described hereinabove. However, in theembodiment of FIG. 12 the rod does not extend into or through the base222, but instead is secured to a bracket 228 which is shaped to conformto the shape of wedge 220 and is adapted to be secured thereto by nails,screws, or other suitable fasteners. The lower end of rod 227 isthreaded, as at 230, the threads engaging a suitable receiver such as anut 232 welded to the upper surface of plate 228. Alternatively, thetension means may be welded directly to the bracket 228 if desired. Itwill be noted that the wedge 220 is secured to the foundation 222 as bya .I-bolt 234 having one end embedded in the foundation, which may beconcrete, and the other end passing through a suitable aperture in wedge220 and secured thereto by a nut or other fastener 236. Similar securingbolts are spaced along the wedge 220 to provide a firm base for the wallpanels.

The tension rod 227 passes through an aperture 238 in the panel 212 anda corresponding aperture 240 in lintel beam 218, and is threaded at itsupper end at 242 to receive a nut or other fastener (not shown). Thelintel beam 2l8 thus may be drawn down into channel 216 when the tensionrod is secured, thereby placing the panel in compression, as describedabove. In this embodiment, the lintel beam 218 may be of wood, plastic,or other suitable material, and is used to align and secure adjacentpanels in a wall, without regard to the particular ceiling or roofingconstruction used for the building or enclosure. As in priorembodiments, the lintel beam is arranged to span the joints betweenadjacent panels so that shear forces tending to separate the panels attheir adjoining edges are borne by the lintel beam as well as by thestuds 224. Again, as illustrated in FIG. 12., the width of the beam 218is less than that of the core that 226 of the panel so that shear forcesbearing on the panels are borne by the core material rather than theskin or surface finishing material 225.

The present structure facilitates the construction of various wallconfigurations from the panels of the present invention, with the use ofa bracket such as that illustrated at 228 permitting quick and easyassembly of a wall without the problem of aligning wall panels withprepositioned apertures or lugs in the foundation. Thus, in using thebracket and tension rod assembly illustrated in FIG. 12, the rod is fedthrough the panel aperture and the bracket secured to the end of therod. The panel to be erected is placed on the wedge 220, and is alignedwith the preceding panel, the nailing strip 224 being inserted in thecorresponding edge grooves to assure vertical alignment. Thereafter, thepanel is raised enough to expose the bracket 228, which may then bepulled down against the wedge 220 and nailed in place, thus insuringproper location of the tension means. The panel is lowered over thewedge and bracket, and the next adjacent panel is similarly located.Thereafter the beam 218 is placed in the top channels 216 of the panels,with the tension rods 227 passing through corresponding apertures in thebeam. Nuts or other fasteners are threaded onto the tops of the rods andthe top beam is drawn down tightly into channel 216, thereby firmlysecuring the wall to the foundation. The wedge shapes of the upper andlower channels and their corresponding beams create a strong, properlyaligned wall structure, with the panels being pulled into compaction to,in effect, pre-stress them. The panel side edges can be fastened, as bynail ing, to the studs to complete the assembly.

The panels of the present invention not only facilitate construction ofstraight wall portions, but of corners, intersecting walls, partitions,and the like. FIG. 12 illustrates the ease with which intersecting wallscan be formed, showing a panel 244, abutting panel 212 to form anangular wall portion. The edge of panel 244 may be secured to thesurface of panel 212 by means of a nailing strip such as that shown at224 which is first secured, as by an adhesive, to the surface of panel212 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 10 for strip 192, with the edgegroove of panel 244 fitting over the nailing strip and being fastenedthereto. The top channel 246 of panel 244 is then made continuous withchannel 216 by cutting away the top edge of panel 212, as at 248, andthe bottom channels (not shown) are similarly treated. The top beam 218is then modified by joining to it a second beam portion 250, as by meansof a T- bracket 252, adapting it to fit into channels 216 and 246.

Panel 244 may fit over a floor wedge (not shown) provided on thefoundation 222 and secured, if desired, to wedge 220 by a T-bracket.Tension means are provided, as before, to secure the panel to the floor.When the tension means are secured to draw the top lintel beams 218, 250down into the channels 216, 246, the panels are interconnected andtightly secured to the foundation.

Thus, there has been provided a new and novel building system in whichwall, roof and partition panels may be interlocked with each other andsecured to a base to form strong, durable enclosures, walls, and otherbuilding elements and structures. The enclosure is secured by means oftension rods which eliminate the need for fasteners which terminate inthe panels,

thereby avoiding the problem of fasteners pulling out of the foam corepanels under stress. The present construction also is highlyadvantageous in that it is easily assembled and disassembled, so that ifone or more panels should become damaged, it is an easy matter to unboltthe tension rods and remove and replace any damaged ceiling or roofpanels. Damaged wall panels may be replaced by merely sliding them upand out of the wall and sliding the new panel into place. The lintelbeam or roof panels are then replaced and the assembly is boltedtogether again.

This same replacability feature provides another advantage in that itprovides a simple means of access if it is desired to expand thebuilding by adding on one or more rooms. Such added rooms may be easilyconnected to the existing walls, and are a simple matter using thepanels and assembly techniques of the present invention.

Because of the extreme stresses that often are encountered in moving amobile home, considerable damage can occur with prior structures. Thetwisting and racking forces which tend to force the walls and roof outof square cause considerable damage to these units, often causing coverpanels to pop loose from the structural framework and necessitatingcostly repairs. The present construction is resistant to this type ofdamage, since there are no skin panels to come loose from frame members.But if it is anticipated that severe stresses are likely to beencountered in moving the mobile home, trailer, or the like, the tensionrods of the subject unit can be loosened, relieving damaging stresses,and the unit can be moved in this condition. When the unit reaches itsdestination, the tension rods are retightened, returning the building toits initial condition.

Although a particular embodiment disclosed herein is a mobile home, itshould again be noted that this construction is suited to a variety ofbuilding enclosures, and that modification of the disclosed panels forsuch purposes will be within the skill of the art. Accordingly, it isdesired that the true spirit and scope of the invention be limited onlyby the following claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A building structure including foundation means supporting aplurality of load-bearing wall panels assembled in side-by-siderelationship, each said panel extending the full height of a wall ofsaid structure, and each panel including:

a core of foamed, high density organic resinous material formed as agenerally rectangular panel having spaced major surfaces;

:1 surface layer bonded to at least one of said major surfaces toprovide a finished wall surface;

interlock means on each side edge of said panel for aligning andinterlocking said panel with adjacent panels upon assembly of saidstructure;

top channel means formed in and extending across the top edge of saidpanel, said top channel means being narrower than the thickness of saidpanel and having a trapezoidal cross section;

a top beam having a trapezoidal cross section corresponding to the crosssectional shape of said top channel means;

tension means secured at one end to said foundation and extendingvertically through said panel and said top beam; and

means adjustably securing said tension means to said top beam to drawsaid top beam down into said top channel means to place said panel incompression and fasten it in position on said foundation, thecomplementary cross sectional shapes of said top beam and said topchannel means preventing splitting of said panel and distributing thecompressive load produced by said tension means.

2. The building structure of claim 1, wherein each of said wall panelsincludes comer notches extending the length of said panel, the notcheson adjacent panels cooperating to provide a recess at the juncturebetween adjacent panels, said structure further including a cover stripfor each said recess for covering said juncture.

3. The building structure of claim 1, wherein each of said wall panelsincorporates at least one cavity extending from said top edge channelmeans through said panel to the bottom thereof, said cavity beingadapted to receive said tension means.

4. The building structure of claim 1, wherein said top beam spans thejuncture between adjacent panels to align said panels.

5. The building structure of claim 1, wherein said top channel means isformed in said panel by a flat base and upwardly and outwardly taperingsidewalls; and

wherein said top beam is formed with a flat base adapted to engage theflat base of said top channel and tapered sidewalls adapted to engagethe sidewalls of said channel when said top beam has been drawn intosaid channel by said tension means.

6. The building structure of claim 5, further including:

locator means secure to said foundation, said locator means having atrapezoidal cross sectional; and a locator channel formed in andextending across the bottom edge of each of said panel, said locatorchannel being narrower than the thickness of said panel and having atrapezoidal cross section corresponding to the cross sectional shape ofsaid locator means, said locator channel being adpated to receive saidlocator means to align said panels on said foundation. 7. The buildingstructure of claim 6, wherein said tension means further extends throughsaid locator means to draw said panel down onto said locator means,thereby rigidly securing said panel to said foundation.

8. The building structure of claim 7, wherein said interlock meanscomprises tongue means for one side edge of each panel and groove meansfor the other side edge of each panel.

9. The building structure of claim 1, further including a plurality ofceiling panels adapted to engage the tops of said wall panels to form abuilding enclosure, and wherein said top beam comprises a lintel beamintegrally formed on each said ceiling panel.

10. The building structure of claim 9, wherein each said ceiling panelincludes two spaced lintel beams adapted to engage the channel meansformed along the top edges of spaced wall panels, said ceiling panelspanning said spaced wall panels to form an enclosure.

11. The building structure of claim 9, wherein each said ceiling panelincludes an arched upper surface adapted to form a roof surface, andinterlock means on each side edge of each panel for aligning said panewith adjacent panels.

12. The building structure of claim 9, wherein each of said ceilingpanels has a tongue formed on one side edge and a groove formed on theopposite side edge, whereby each ceiling panel is interlocked withadjacent ceiling panels upon assembly of said enclosure.

13. The building structure of claim 9, wherein each said lintel beamincludes a central portion of generally trapezoidal cross-sectiondepending from the lower surface of said ceiling panel and a groove oneach side of, and parallel to, said central portion, whereby the surfaceof said lintel beam defines a return curve.

14. The building structure of claim 13, wherein said tension meansextends through said ceiling panel, whereby said tension means drawssaid lintel beam down into said channel means, the top of said paneladjacent said channel engaging said lintel beam grooves.

15. The building structure of claim 9, wherein each of said ceilingpanels is constructed of a foamed material having at least its lowersurface finished by a skin layer which provides the desired ceilingappearance for said enclosure.

16. The building structure of claim 15, wherein said foamed material isa high density foamed urethane.

17. The building structure of claim 9, wherein each of said lintel beamsincludes a centrally located portion of generally trapezoidal crosssection depending from the surface of said ceiling panel and a grooveformed in the said under surface on each side of said depending portion,whereby the surface of said lintel beam defines a return curve, saiddepending portion of said lintel beams being adapted to intimatelyengage corresponding channels in said wall panels, and said grooves oneach side of said depending portion being adapted to engage the upperedge portions of said wall panels adjacent said channel and to engagethe interior and exterior surface faces of said wall panels.

18. The building structure of claim 17, wherein each of said ceilingpanels incorporates trough means on its upper surface aligned with saidspaced lintel beams, and further including tie bar means for said troughmeans.

19. The building structure of claim 18, wherein said tension meanscomprises a plurality of tension rods extending vertically through saidtie bar means, said roof panels, said lintel beams, said wall panelchannels, and said wall panels to draw said lintel beams and adjacentgrooves into rigid contact with said channels and the upper edges ofsaid panels.

20. The building structure of claim 18, wherein each of said wall panelsincorporates two spaced cavities extending from saidtop edge channelthrough said panel to the bottom thereof, said cavities being adapted toloosely receive said tension means.

21. The building structure of claim 20, wherein each of said wall panelsincorporates a lower channel formed across its bottom edge.

22. The building system of claim 21, further including locator meanssecured to said foundation for engaging said lower channels of said wallpanels, said locator means defining the location of said enclosurewalls.

23. The building structure of claim 22, wherein said tension meansfurther extend through said locator means and through said foundation torigidly secure said enclosure to said foundation.

24. The building structure of claim 23, further including partitionpanels for constructing walls within said enclosure, said partitionpanels having interlocking side edges and top edges and bottom edgechannels for assembly to adjacent partition and wall panels and to saidlocator means.

25. The building structure of claim 24, further including ceilinglocator strips for said upper channels and tension bands securablebetween said locator means on said foundation and said ceiling locatorstrips to hold said partition panel in position.

26. The building system of claim 25, wherein said enclosure is a mobilehome.

27. The building system of claim 25, wherein said foundation is avehicle bed, said enclosure forming a vehicle body.

28. The building system of claim 25, wherein said roof panels overlapthe junctures between said wall panels, whereby said lintel beams bridgesaid junctures, and wherein said tie bars overlap the junctures betweensaid roof panels, whereby said enclosure panels are secured againstracking and twisting due to externally applied forces.

29. A lightweight, modular wall structure incorporating a plurality ofvertical, loadbearing wall panels aligned in edge-to-edge relationship,each said panel comprising:

a core of foamed, high density organic resinous material forrned as agenerally rectangular panel having parallel, sapced major surfacesdefining the thickness of said core, said core being bounded by spacedtop and bottom edges and spaced first and second side edges;

a skin layer bonded to at least one of said major surfaces of said coreto provide a finished wall surface;

first interlock means formed on and extending substantially the lengthof said first side edge and adapted to interlock with a first adjacentpanel;

second interlock means formed on and extending substantially the lengthof said second side edge and adapted to interlock with a second adjacentpanel;

a lintel channel formed in and extending the length of said top edge andadapted to be aligned with the lintel channel of adjacent panels, saidlintel channel being substantially trapezoidal in cross section;

a base channel formed in and extending the length of said bottom edgeand adapted to be aligned with the base channel of adjacent panels, saidbase channel being substantially trapezoidal in cross section, saidlintel and base channels being narrower than the thickness of said coreand being centrally located in the top and bottom edges respectively, ofsaid core;

a lintel beam having a substantially trapezoidal cross sectioncomplementary to the shape of said lintel channel;

base wedge means having substantially trapezoidal cross sectioncomplementary to the shape of said base channel; and

tension means connected between said lintel beam and said base wedge todraw said lintel beam into said lintel channel and said base wedge intosaid base channel to place said panel under a compressive load.

30. The wall structure of claim 29, further including cavity meansextending vertically through said panel, said tension means extendingthrough said cavity for connection to said lintel beam and to said basewedge.

31. The wall structure of claim 29, wherein said lintel channel includesa flat base and upwardly and outwardly tapered sidewalls centered insaid top edge of said panel and spaced from said major surfaces thereof;and

wherein said lintel beam includes a flat base adapted to engage the flatbase of said lintel channel and tapered sidewalls adapted to engage thesidewalls of said lintel channel.

32. The wall structure of claim 31, wherein said lintel beam and saidbase wedge means extend across adjacent panels to align said panels.

33. A lightweight, modular wall structure incorporating a plurality ofvertical, load-bearing wall panels aligned in edge-to-edge relationship,each said panel comprising:

a core of foamed, high density organic resinous material formed as agenerally rectangular panel having spaced major surfaces defining thethickness of said core, said core being bounded by spaced top and bottomedges and spaced first and second side edges;

a surface layer bonded to at least one of said major surfaces of saidcore to provide a finished wall surface;

first interlock means formed on and extending substantially the lengthof said first side edge and adapted to interlock with an adjacent panel;

second interlock means formed on and extending substantially the lengthof said second side edge and adapted to interlock with an adjacentpanel;

a lintel channel integral with, formed in, centrally located in, andextending the length of, said top edge and adapted to be aligned withthe lintel channel of adjacent panels, said lintel channel beingsubstantially trapezoidal in cross-section and narrower than thethickness of said core;

a base channel integral with, formed in, centrally located in, andextending the length of, said bottom edge and adapted to be aligned withthe base channel of adjacent panels, said base channel beingsubstantially trapezoidal in cross-section and narrower than thethickness of said core;

a lintel beam having a substantially trapezoidal crosssectioncomplementary to the shape of said lintel channel;

base wedge means having a substantially trapezoidal cross-sectioncomplementary to the shape of said base channel; and

tension means connected between said lintel beam and said base wedge todraw said lintel beam into the lintel channel and said base wedge intosaid base channel to place said panel under a compressive load which isdistributed continously across the width of said panel, said coreproviding support at the sides of said lintel beam and said base wedge.

34. The structure of claim 33, wherein said lintel beam comprises aceiling locator strip and wherein said tension means comprises a tensionband.

35. The structure of claim 33, wherein at least one of said panels isgenerally L-shaped to provide a corner section for said wall.

36. The structure of claim 33, wherein at least one of said first andsecond interlock means is located on a major surface of said panel,whereby said panel may be aligned with an adjacent panel to formintersecting wall panels.

37. The strucure of claim 33, wherein said first and second interlockmeans comprise tongue means for one side edge of each panel and groovemeans for the other side edge of each panel.

38. The structure of claim 33, wherein said first and second interlockmeans comprises groove means formed in the side edges of said panel andnailing strip means for each groove, said nailing strip extendingbetween and being received in the groove means of adjacent panels.

39. The structure of claim 33, wherein said panel surface layercomprises a preformed plastic material simulating natural materials.

40. The structure of claim 33, wherein said panel surface layercomprises wood paneling.

41. The structure of claim 33, wherein said tension means comprises aleast one tension bar passing vertically through each said panel.

42. The panel of claim 33, wherein said lintel channel includes a flatbase and upwardly and outwardly tapered sidewalls centered in said topedge of said panel and spaced from said major surfaces thereof; and

wherein said lintel beam includes a flat base adapted to engage the fiatbase of said lintel channel and tapered sidewalls adapted to engage thesidewalls of said lintel channel.

43. The panel of claim 33, wherein said lintel beam and said base wedgemeans extend across adjacent panels to align said panels.

44. The structure of said claim 33, wherein each of said panels furtherincludes cavity means extending vertically through said panel betweensaid lintel channel and said base channel, said cavity means beingadapted to receive said tension means 45. The structure of claim 33,wherein said lintel and base channels each are formed with a flat baseand wherein said lintel beam wedge each are formed with a flat base,said tension means drawing the bases of said lintel beam and said basewedge into engagement with the bases of said lintel and base channels,respectively, to compress said panel core between the bases of saidlintel beam and base wedge.

46. The structure of claim 45, wherein said lintel and base channelseach are formed with outwardly tapered sidewalls and wherein said lintelbeam and base wedge each are formed with outwardly tapered sidewallscomplementary to said lintel and base channel sidewalls, respectively,said tension means drawing corresponding complementary sidewalls of saidlintel beam and lintel channel and said base wedge and base channel intoengagement, whereby the sidewalls of said lintel beam and base wedge arecontinuously engaged with said channel sidewalls to distribute thecompressive load produced by said tension means, the tepering of saidsidewalls increasing the area of panel compression between said beam andsaid base wedge.

47. The structure of claim 33, wherein at least one of said panelsfurther includes third interlock means, said third interlock means beinglocated on a major surface of said panel for receiving and aligning anadjacent intersecting wall panel.

48. The structure of claim 47, wherein said third interlock meanscomprises a wall panel locator strip forming a tongue adapted to engagea corresponding groove on said adjacent intersecting wall panel.

49. The structure of claim 47, wherein said third interlocking meanscomprises a groove formed in said major surface of said at least onpanel.

50. The structure of claim 47, wherein said lintel beam is generallyT-shaped to engage the lintel channels of said at least one panel andsaid intersecting panel.

51. The structure of claim 50, wherein said base wedge means isgenerally T-shaped to engage the base channels of said at least onepanel and said intersecting panel.

52. The panel of claim 33, futher including a surface layer bonded toboth of said major surfaces of said core to provide a finished wallappearance on both sides of said panel.

53. The panel of claim 52, further including a corner notch at each sideedge on each said major surfaces and extending the length of said panel,and a cover strip for each said notch.

54. The structure of claim 33, wherein said tension means is secured atone end to said base wedge means and extends vertically through saidpanel and said lintel beam, said structure further including meansadjustably securing said tension means to said lintel beam to draw saidbeam down into said lintel channel to place said panel in compressionand fasten it in position on said base wedge, the complementarycross-sectional shapes of said lintel beam and said lintel channeldistributing the compressive load produced by said tension means andpreventing splitting of said panel.

55. The structure of claim 54, further including bracket means shaped toconform to the shape of said base wege means for securing said tensionmeans to said base wedge means, and fastener means for said bracketmeans.

56. The structure of claim 33, further including foundation meanssupporting said base wedge means.

57. The structure of claim 56, wherein each of said wall panelsincorporates at least one vertical cavity extending from said basechannel through said panel to said lintel channel, said cavity beingadapted to receive said tension means.

58. The structure of claim 57, wherein said tension means is secured atone end to said foundation and extends vertically through said basewedge means, through the vertical cavity in a corresponding panel, andthrough said lintel beam, and including means adjustably securing saidtension means to said lintel beam to draw said lintel beam down intosaid lintel channel to rigidly secure said panel to said foundation.

59. The structure of claim 58, wherein said first and second interlockmeans comprises grooves formed in the side edges of each panel andnailing strip means for each groove, said nailing strips extendingbetween said being received in the corresponding grooves of adjacentpanels to vertically align adjacent panels and secure said panels inabutting relationship.

60. The structure of claim 59, wherein said lintel beam and said basewedge means extend across the junctures of adjacent panels to align saidpanels.

61. The structure of claim 59, wherein said tension means comprises atleast one tension bar for each panel of said wall structure.

PATENTNO. 3,898,779

DATED Aug. 12, 1975 mvmrorzrs. 1

It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent andthat said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the claims Claim Claim Claim Claim Claim edges Claim Claim ClaimClaim Claim Claim [SEAL] UNITED S'IATES PA'IE rT OFFICE CERTWICATE @F'COHRECTEQN Charles W. Tracy 6, line 3, change "secu re" to secured.

11, line 4, change "pane" to panel--.

17, line 4, change "the surface" to the under surface- 21, line 2,change "panels incorporates" to panels further incorporates.

24, line 4 (the first line at column 18) change "top and bottom edge" totop and bottom edge-.

29, line 7, change "sapced" to --spaced.

41, line 2, change "a" to at--.

45, line 3, change "beam wedge" to beam and base wedge.

46, line 12, change "tepering" to tapering--.

line 14, (the last line in the claim) change "said beam" to said lintelbeam-.

55, line 3, change "wege" to wedge.

59, line 4, change "between said" to between and.

RUTH C. MASON Arresting Officer C. MARSHALL DANN Commissioner of Parentsand Trademarks

1. A building structure including foundation means supporting aplurality of load-bearing wall panels assembled in side-by-siderelationship, each said panel extending the full height of a wall ofsaid structure, and each panel including: a core of foamed, high densityorganic resinous material formed as a generally rectangular panel havingspaced major surfaces; a surface layer bonded to at least one of saidmajor surfaces to provide a finished wall surface; interlock means oneach side edge of said panel for aligning and interlocking said panelwith adjacent panels upon assembly of said structure; top channel meansformed in and extending across the top edge of said panel, said topchannel means being narrower than the thickness of said panel and havinga trapezoidal cross section; a top beam having a trapezoidal crosssection corresponding to the cross sectional shape of said top channelmeans; tension means secured at one end to said foundation and extendingvertically through said panel and said top beam; and means adjustablysecuring said tension means to said top beam to draw said top beam downinto said top channel means to place said panel in compression andfasten it in position on said foundation, the complementary crosssectional shapes of said top beam and said top channel means preventingsplitting of said panel and distributing the compressive load producedby said tension means.
 2. The building structure of claim 1, whereineach of said wall panels includes corner notches extending the length ofsaid panel, the notches on adjacent panels cooperating to provide arecess at the juncture between adjacent panels, said structure furtherincluding a cover strip for each said recess for covering said juncture.3. The building structure of claim 1, wherein each of said wall panelsincorporates at least one cavity extending from said top edge channelmeans through said panel to the bottom thereof, said cavity beingadapted to receive said tension means.
 4. The building structure ofclaim 1, wherein said top beam spans the juncture between adjacentpanels to align said panels.
 5. The building structure of claim 1,wherein said top channel means is formed in said panel by a flat baseand upwardly and outwardly tapering sidewalls; and wherein said top beamis formed with a flat base adapted to engage the flat base of said topchannel and tapered sidewalls adapted to engage the sidewalls of saidchannel when said top beam has been drawn into said channel by saidtension means.
 6. The building structure of claim 5, further including:locator means secure to said foundation, said locator means having atrapezoidal cross sectional; and a locator channel formed in andextending across the bottom edge of each of said panel, said locatorchannel being narrower than the thickness of said panel and having atrapezoidal cross section corresponding to the cross sectional shape ofsaid locator means, said locator channel being adpated to receive saidlocator means to align said panels on said foundation.
 7. The buildingstructure of claim 6, wherein said tension means further extends throughsaid locator means to draw said panel down onto said locator means,thereby rigidly securing said panel to said foundation.
 8. The buildingstructure of claim 7, wherein said interlock means comprises tonguemeans for one side edge of each panel and groove means for the otherside edge of each panel.
 9. The building structure of claim 1, furtherincluding a plurality of ceiling panels adapted to engage the tops ofsaid wall panels to form a building enclosure, and wherein said top beamcomprises a lintel beam integrally formed on each said ceiling panel.10. The building structure of claim 9, wherein each said ceiling panelincludes two spaced lintel beams adapted to engage the channel meansformed along the top edges of spaced wall panels, said ceiling panelspanning said spaced wall panels to form an enclosure.
 11. The buildingstructure of claim 9, wherein each said ceiling panel includes an archedupper surface adapted to form a roof surface, and interlock means oneach side edge of each panel for aligning said pane with adjacentpanels.
 12. The building structure of claim 9, wherein each of saidceiling panels has a tongue formed on one side edge and a groove formedon the opposite side edge, whereby each ceiling panel is interlockedwith adjacent ceiling panels upon assembly of said enclosure.
 13. Thebuilding structure of claim 9, wherein each said lintel beam includes acentral portion of generally trapezoidal cross-section depending fromthe lower surface of said ceiling panel and a groove on each side of,and parallel to, said central portion, whereby the surface of saidlintel beam defines a return curve.
 14. The building structure of claim13, wherein said tension means extends through said ceiling panel,whereby said tension means draws said lintel beam down into said channelmeans, the top of said panel adjacent said channel engaging said lintelbeam grooves.
 15. The building structure of claim 9, wherein each ofsaid ceiling panels is constructed of a foamed material having at leastits lower surface finished by a skin layer which provides the desiredceiling appearance for said enclosure.
 16. The building structure ofclaim 15, wherein said foamed material is a high density foamedurethane.
 17. The building structure of claim 9, wherein each of saidlintel beams includes a centrally located portion of generallytrapezoidal cross section depending from the surface of said ceilingpanel and a groove formed in the said under surface on each side of saiddepending portion, whereby the surface of said lintel beam defines areturn curve, said depending portion of said lintel beams being adaptedto intimately engage corresponding channels in said wall panels, andsaid grooves on each side of said depending portion being adapted toengage the upper edge portions of said wall panels adjacent said channeland to engage the interior and exterior surface faces of said wallpanels.
 18. The building structure of claim 17, wherein each of saidceilIng panels incorporates trough means on its upper surface alignedwith said spaced lintel beams, and further including tie bar means forsaid trough means.
 19. The building structure of claim 18, wherein saidtension means comprises a plurality of tension rods extending verticallythrough said tie bar means, said roof panels, said lintel beams, saidwall panel channels, and said wall panels to draw said lintel beams andadjacent grooves into rigid contact with said channels and the upperedges of said panels.
 20. The building structure of claim 18, whereineach of said wall panels incorporates two spaced cavities extending fromsaid top edge channel through said panel to the bottom thereof, saidcavities being adapted to loosely receive said tension means.
 21. Thebuilding structure of claim 20, wherein each of said wall panelsincorporates a lower channel formed across its bottom edge.
 22. Thebuilding system of claim 21, further including locator means secured tosaid foundation for engaging said lower channels of said wall panels,said locator means defining the location of said enclosure walls. 23.The building structure of claim 22, wherein said tension means furtherextend through said locator means and through said foundation to rigidlysecure said enclosure to said foundation.
 24. The building structure ofclaim 23, further including partition panels for constructing wallswithin said enclosure, said partition panels having interlocking sideedges and top edges and bottom edge channels for assembly to adjacentpartition and wall panels and to said locator means.
 25. The buildingstructure of claim 24, further including ceiling locator strips for saidupper channels and tension bands securable between said locator means onsaid foundation and said ceiling locator strips to hold said partitionpanel in position.
 26. The building system of claim 25, wherein saidenclosure is a mobile home.
 27. The building system of claim 25, whereinsaid foundation is a vehicle bed, said enclosure forming a vehicle body.28. The building system of claim 25, wherein said roof panels overlapthe junctures between said wall panels, whereby said lintel beams bridgesaid junctures, and wherein said tie bars overlap the junctures betweensaid roof panels, whereby said enclosure panels are secured againstracking and twisting due to externally applied forces.
 29. Alightweight, modular wall structure incorporating a plurality ofvertical, loadbearing wall panels aligned in edge-to-edge relationship,each said panel comprising: a core of foamed, high density organicresinous material formed as a generally rectangular panel havingparallel, sapced major surfaces defining the thickness of said core,said core being bounded by spaced top and bottom edges and spaced firstand second side edges; a skin layer bonded to at least one of said majorsurfaces of said core to provide a finished wall surface; firstinterlock means formed on and extending substantially the length of saidfirst side edge and adapted to interlock with a first adjacent panel;second interlock means formed on and extending substantially the lengthof said second side edge and adapted to interlock with a second adjacentpanel; a lintel channel formed in and extending the length of said topedge and adapted to be aligned with the lintel channel of adjacentpanels, said lintel channel being substantially trapezoidal in crosssection; a base channel formed in and extending the length of saidbottom edge and adapted to be aligned with the base channel of adjacentpanels, said base channel being substantially trapezoidal in crosssection, said lintel and base channels being narrower than the thicknessof said core and being centrally located in the top and bottom edgesrespectively, of said core; a lintel beam having a substantiallytrapezoidal cross section complementary to the shape of said lintelchannel; base wedge means having substantially trApezoidal cross sectioncomplementary to the shape of said base channel; and tension meansconnected between said lintel beam and said base wedge to draw saidlintel beam into said lintel channel and said base wedge into said basechannel to place said panel under a compressive load.
 30. The wallstructure of claim 29, further including cavity means extendingvertically through said panel, said tension means extending through saidcavity for connection to said lintel beam and to said base wedge. 31.The wall structure of claim 29, wherein said lintel channel includes aflat base and upwardly and outwardly tapered sidewalls centered in saidtop edge of said panel and spaced from said major surfaces thereof; andwherein said lintel beam includes a flat base adapted to engage the flatbase of said lintel channel and tapered sidewalls adapted to engage thesidewalls of said lintel channel.
 32. The wall structure of claim 31,wherein said lintel beam and said base wedge means extend acrossadjacent panels to align said panels.
 33. A lightweight, modular wallstructure incorporating a plurality of vertical, load-bearing wallpanels aligned in edge-to-edge relationship, each said panel comprising:a core of foamed, high density organic resinous material formed as agenerally rectangular panel having spaced major surfaces defining thethickness of said core, said core being bounded by spaced top and bottomedges and spaced first and second side edges; a surface layer bonded toat least one of said major surfaces of said core to provide a finishedwall surface; first interlock means formed on and extendingsubstantially the length of said first side edge and adapted tointerlock with an adjacent panel; second interlock means formed on andextending substantially the length of said second side edge and adaptedto interlock with an adjacent panel; a lintel channel integral with,formed in, centrally located in, and extending the length of, said topedge and adapted to be aligned with the lintel channel of adjacentpanels, said lintel channel being substantially trapezoidal incross-section and narrower than the thickness of said core; a basechannel integral with, formed in, centrally located in, and extendingthe length of, said bottom edge and adapted to be aligned with the basechannel of adjacent panels, said base channel being substantiallytrapezoidal in cross-section and narrower than the thickness of saidcore; a lintel beam having a substantially trapezoidal cross-sectioncomplementary to the shape of said lintel channel; base wedge meanshaving a substantially trapezoidal cross-section complementary to theshape of said base channel; and tension means connected between saidlintel beam and said base wedge to draw said lintel beam into the lintelchannel and said base wedge into said base channel to place said panelunder a compressive load which is distributed continously across thewidth of said panel, said core providing support at the sides of saidlintel beam and said base wedge.
 34. The structure of claim 33, whereinsaid lintel beam comprises a ceiling locator strip and wherein saidtension means comprises a tension band.
 35. The structure of claim 33,wherein at least one of said panels is generally L-shaped to provide acorner section for said wall.
 36. The structure of claim 33, wherein atleast one of said first and second interlock means is located on a majorsurface of said panel, whereby said panel may be aligned with anadjacent panel to form intersecting wall panels.
 37. The strucure ofclaim 33, wherein said first and second interlock means comprise tonguemeans for one side edge of each panel and groove means for the otherside edge of each panel.
 38. The structure of claim 33, wherein saidfirst and second interlock means comprises groove means formed in theside edges of said panel and nailing strip means for each groove, saidnailing strip extending betWeen and being received in the groove meansof adjacent panels.
 39. The structure of claim 33, wherein said panelsurface layer comprises a preformed plastic material simulating naturalmaterials.
 40. The structure of claim 33, wherein said panel surfacelayer comprises wood paneling.
 41. The structure of claim 33, whereinsaid tension means comprises a least one tension bar passing verticallythrough each said panel.
 42. The panel of claim 33, wherein said lintelchannel includes a flat base and upwardly and outwardly taperedsidewalls centered in said top edge of said panel and spaced from saidmajor surfaces thereof; and wherein said lintel beam includes a flatbase adapted to engage the flat base of said lintel channel and taperedsidewalls adapted to engage the sidewalls of said lintel channel. 43.The panel of claim 33, wherein said lintel beam and said base wedgemeans extend across adjacent panels to align said panels.
 44. Thestructure of said claim 33, wherein each of said panels further includescavity means extending vertically through said panel between said lintelchannel and said base channel, said cavity means being adapted toreceive said tension means.
 45. The structure of claim 33, wherein saidlintel and base channels each are formed with a flat base and whereinsaid lintel beam wedge each are formed with a flat base, said tensionmeans drawing the bases of said lintel beam and said base wedge intoengagement with the bases of said lintel and base channels,respectively, to compress said panel core between the bases of saidlintel beam and base wedge.
 46. The structure of claim 45, wherein saidlintel and base channels each are formed with outwardly taperedsidewalls and wherein said lintel beam and base wedge each are formedwith outwardly tapered sidewalls complementary to said lintel and basechannel sidewalls, respectively, said tension means drawingcorresponding complementary sidewalls of said lintel beam and lintelchannel and said base wedge and base channel into engagement, wherebythe sidewalls of said lintel beam and base wedge are continuouslyengaged with said channel sidewalls to distribute the compressive loadproduced by said tension means, the tepering of said sidewallsincreasing the area of panel compression between said beam and said basewedge.
 47. The structure of claim 33, wherein at least one of saidpanels further includes third interlock means, said third interlockmeans being located on a major surface of said panel for receiving andaligning an adjacent intersecting wall panel.
 48. The structure of claim47, wherein said third interlock means comprises a wall panel locatorstrip forming a tongue adapted to engage a corresponding groove on saidadjacent intersecting wall panel.
 49. The structure of claim 47, whereinsaid third interlocking means comprises a groove formed in said majorsurface of said at least on panel.
 50. The structure of claim 47,wherein said lintel beam is generally T-shaped to engage the lintelchannels of said at least one panel and said intersecting panel.
 51. Thestructure of claim 50, wherein said base wedge means is generallyT-shaped to engage the base channels of said at least one panel and saidintersecting panel.
 52. The panel of claim 33, futher including asurface layer bonded to both of said major surfaces of said core toprovide a finished wall appearance on both sides of said panel.
 53. Thepanel of claim 52, further including a corner notch at each side edge oneach said major surfaces and extending the length of said panel, and acover strip for each said notch.
 54. The structure of claim 33, whereinsaid tension means is secured at one end to said base wedge means andextends vertically through said panel and said lintel beam, saidstructure further including means adjustably securing said tension meansto said lintel beam to draw said beam down into said lintel channel toplace said panel in compression and fasten it in positiOn on said basewedge, the complementary cross-sectional shapes of said lintel beam andsaid lintel channel distributing the compressive load produced by saidtension means and preventing splitting of said panel.
 55. The structureof claim 54, further including bracket means shaped to conform to theshape of said base wege means for securing said tension means to saidbase wedge means, and fastener means for said bracket means.
 56. Thestructure of claim 33, further including foundation means supportingsaid base wedge means.
 57. The structure of claim 56, wherein each ofsaid wall panels incorporates at least one vertical cavity extendingfrom said base channel through said panel to said lintel channel, saidcavity being adapted to receive said tension means.
 58. The structure ofclaim 57, wherein said tension means is secured at one end to saidfoundation and extends vertically through said base wedge means, throughthe vertical cavity in a corresponding panel, and through said lintelbeam, and including means adjustably securing said tension means to saidlintel beam to draw said lintel beam down into said lintel channel torigidly secure said panel to said foundation.
 59. The structure of claim58, wherein said first and second interlock means comprises groovesformed in the side edges of each panel and nailing strip means for eachgroove, said nailing strips extending between said being received in thecorresponding grooves of adjacent panels to vertically align adjacentpanels and secure said panels in abutting relationship.
 60. Thestructure of claim 59, wherein said lintel beam and said base wedgemeans extend across the junctures of adjacent panels to align saidpanels.
 61. The structure of claim 59, wherein said tension meanscomprises at least one tension bar for each panel of said wallstructure.